A Post MortE3m
E3 is dead, and I am poorer for it.
Not literally. I don’t invest in video game companies any more than I invest in cryptocurrency, which is to say, not at all. Money is imaginary enough already, thank you very much. But E3 was cancelled this year and is unlikely to be back again. That’s made my early summer a little less bright, and I’ve been thinking about why.
E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, was the first real trade show for video games, which had, until that point, been more of a sideshow at the Consumer Electronics Show. Then, in Los Angeles in the year of 1995, E3 was born. It was considered a hit its very first year, and only grew in the years to follow.
Some of the biggest consoles and video games of all time debuted at the E3s of yore. The year after E3 began, Nintendo unveiled the Nintendo 64, a game changer (ha!) so enormous it’s hard to convey any more. The Nintendo 64 was where video games jumped from two dimensions to three. In 1999, Halo: Combat Evolved received a soft launch for a very small group, before debuting its first public trailer the next year. Blockbuster sequels were announced to roaring crowds. The biggest names in video games geared up all year to show their stuff at E3, and fans got a parade of new games and hardware and fun. It was like if all the biggest movies of the year released their trailers on the exact same day.
I have very fond memories of the days when E3 was televised. I would lie out on the couch and glimpse the future of video games one trailer at a time.
Sadly, E3 isn’t really necessary any more. The audience of investors and fans that E3 guaranteed are now waiting online basically every day. And why should game companies continue fighting over the spotlight once a year when they can choose their moment and dominate the news cycle? Nintendo has its Nintendo Directs. Sony has Playstation Showcase. Microsoft… I don’t know. They’re probably trying to make it big on Twitch?
E3 was already well into decline before the pandemic made large gatherings for digital products more dangerous than useful. It’s just run its course. But I will absolutely miss it. In tough times, any little thing you can look forward to helps. And I miss knowing that just I could point to a day on the calendar and know that good news was waiting for me.